When women are asked what they consider their two main signs of facial ageing, the answer is invariably loss of skin tone causing sagging of facial contours and the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and creases.

This phenomenon, which worsens with age and the menopause, is due to the loss of collagen, the protein found in all structures of the body, especially the skin, and which ensures the cohesion, elasticity and regeneration of tissue. With age, collagen diminishes and the skin becomes less firm and saggier. The face also loses fats (becoming more skeletal), becoming hollow on the sides, and heaviness accumulates under the chin, and the lower cheeks.

Solutions exist, but choices have to be made: either to restore volume, using targeted injections, or to tighten the skin, by means of more invasive interventions.

• A discreet and immediate lifting effect : as soon as the suture is applied, the doctor reshapes the treated area by means of a double action: compressing and elevating tissue.
• A gradual and natural regenerating effect : in being absorbed, the component of the suture, polylactic acid allows to restore shapeliness to the face.

The 30 – 60 minute procedure

After a small local anaesthetic, the doctor inserts the suture under the skin to a depth of about three to five millimetres. No incision is required, as the suture is inserted using a fine needle. It is held in place with absorbable cones oriented in opposite directions (bidirectional). Once the suture as been applied, the doctor performs slight compression of the tissue to reshape it by hand and to obtain the desired lifting effect.

The non-inserted ends of the suture are cut off. One or more sutures may be applied, depending on the patient and treated area. Silhouette Soft Threads can be used as a single treatment or in combination with fillers and botulinum toxin.

After treatment : a few recommendations

After the Silhouette Soft Threads treatment, as with any cosmetic treatment, some slight swelling, redness or bruising may sometimes be observed, but these disappear within days.

There is sometimes a slight wrinkling of the skin (required for optimisation of the treatment) which disappears very quickly.

Recommendations for good post-treatment follow-up :

✓ During the week after treatment, do not undergo any dental surgery, and avoid facial and beauty treatments.
✓ Avoid all contact sports for the first few weeks.
✓ Preferably sleep on your back.
✓ In the event of pain, take a pain reliever according to your doctor’s prescription.